7 Days
by Absent Soul
Summary: Eijun gets injured in a game and now the team has to play the waiting game.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer I don't own the characters in this story

Day one

In was the final inning there were two outs and a runner on third, if the next batter got a hit the game would be over and they will have lost. Kawagami-Senpai was injured in the last game so he couldn't be brought on to relieve. This caused Eijun to pitch since the fourth inning and he was becoming tired. It didn't help that the next batter happened to be one of the most annoying people he's met Narumiya Mei.

Miyuki could see it from where he was kneeling, Eijun had sweat running down his face, and he looked like Furuya when he was in the sun for an extended period. However they needed this out, this out would guaranty them the game.

"_Bring it Sawamura but you know as well as I do if it moves to an easy place he will hit it" _Miyuki thought.

Eijun nodded back, he drew his leg up and pitched. It looked like a ball from were Miyuki was so he hoped Mei wouldn't swing and as it look like he was right at the last second Mei went for it. But also at the last second it moved more towards the inside. The klang of the ball hitting the bat was heard but as Miyuki looked to see where the ball was heading horror filled him. The ball was heading straight back to Eijun who didn't look like he had enough energy to dodge.

The last thing Eijun's eyes focused on before the ball hit him was the look Miyuki's face, he looked horrified. The next thing his brain registered was a blinding pain from his left eye and part of his nose. His back connected with the ground but he couldn't focus on that because it caused a shot of white hot pain to shoot through his head. The sky slowly became darker as his eyes closed and before everything completely went black Miyuki's voice penetrated the darkness _"Eijun"_ and all faded to nothing.

Miyuki felt the mask of horror that he couldn't remove from his face. It was like everything was in slow motion, the ball hit Sawamura and he started to fall back. Miyuki was only broken out of his trance and Eijun hit the floor. There was no scream of pain nothing, he just lay there on the floor not moving and before Miyuki realised it he'd discarded his mask and was running towards the mound.

As he ran he heard himself shout Eijun's name but there was still no response from the pitched laying on the mound. He doesn't know how but he reached the mound first but when he sees Eijun's face he stops dead. There is blood running down his face from his nose, tears still streaming from his eyes despite the fact they were closed. Coach pushes past him quickly followed by Chris-Senpai, as they check Eijun over Miyuki realises that everyone else has made it to the mound even the Inashiro players.

The medics came running out carrying a stretcher, a neck brace was placed on Eijun and he was loaded onto it and rushed away. The umpire told us to return to the dugout and that the game would resume in five minutes. We all returned to the dugout and coach started talking.

"We can't let this affect our game" was the first thing he said but everyone could tell from his face that he could tell we were all affected and that he understood because he was to. "But we must try our hardest and fight to the end for Sawamura" everyone gave a shout of agreement.

"Chris I want you to go with Eijun, he's being transferred to the nearest hospital, Rei is going as well" Chris nodded and walked straight out the door without saying a word or looking at anyone.

"Tanba you're going to have to get on the mound" Tanba just nodded and took off towards the bullpen for the remaining two minutes of the time out.

One look around the dugout and you could tell people were in varying degrees of shock about what happened, haurichi looked like he was holding back tears and Kuramochi face was expressionless, you could easily tell he was still trying g to process what just happened.

The time out was over and we had to return to the field, everyone was tense but there was no stopping it. Miyuki called the pitches fork ball, curve to the outside and fastball to the inside, the count was 1-2 this next pitch counted if it was a strike they won, if Mei hit it was all over.

Miyuki called for another fastball to the inside, Tanba nodded and got set to throw. Suddenly it was like Eijun's last pitch again just when Miyuki thought that the ball as going go into his mitt Mei swung the bat. Except this hit didn't go back to the pitcher, this pitch went past the outfield and out of the park. They scored two runs and it was the end of the game but no one was really that focus on the game now that it over.

We line up and thanked the other team, then thanked the crowed. When we returned to the dugout coach informed us that we would be going to the hospital.

"Miyuki, Kuramochi and Kominato you all will be coming with me" coach informed us "Everyone else will be returning to the school" people looked like they wanted to protest but one look from the coach silenced them before they began.

When they arrived at the hospital coach lead the off the bus, Rei met them at the door and she looked pale. This didn't fill anyone full of confidence.

"How is he?" coach asked as soon as they reached her.

Rei shook her head as if try to shake herself out of a bad memory "there was no internal bleeding" she said and then let out a deep breath "but his nose is broken" that didn't sound too bad, but Rei would look this bad if that was it "the only thing is that" she had to take another deep breath "he's in a coma and they don't know when he'll wake up" that last this hit everyone like a ton of bricks, Haruichi burst into tears while Kuramochi wrapped his arms around him and buried his face in Haruichi hair.

"Can we see him?" Miyuki was the only one brave enough to break the silence, only because he couldn't believe it. He had to see it for himself.

Rei just nodded and led the up to room 119 and in that room they saw it, Sawamura laying in a hospital bed hooked up to different machines, the only sound it the room was the beeping of the heart monitor.


	2. Chapter 2

7 Days

Day 2

It was too quiet to be a room that had Sawamura in it, that energetic first year who didn't know how to shut his mouth. But despite all that there he was laying there in that stark whit bed that seemed to bring out the fact that his skin didn't have its normal tan glow.

Chris-Senpai had is back to all of them one of Sawamura's hands held carefully in his. The line of his back showed he was tense, like he was expecting something bad to happen any minute. Chris was sick of hospitals, he'd spent enough time in the hospital weeks after his injury then months after that with regular check-ups and rehabilitation. That stinging sterile smell that burned your nose every time you breathed, so different to the smell of dirt you get when standing on the field.

Kuramochi was having similar thoughts there was something unnatural about hospitals that always set him on edge. He supposed that the reason was because you only visit a hospital if you or someone you care for is ill or hurt.

Miyuki's thoughts were turning to self-blame, he had called for the pitch, even though he knew that they hadn't practiced it enough yet. Even though he knew that if it moved Mei would hit it. He couldn't help but put some of the blame on himself, as a catcher it was his job to lead the pitcher In the right direction but he lead Eijun down the wrong way and now he was laying comatose in a hospital bed. Before Miyuki could let his thoughts progress any further, he knew he had to leave. He couldn't look at Eijun any longer.

Everyone in the room turned to the door Miyuki just fled out of. Coach was the one to speak "Kinamoto, Kuramochi I want you to meet me outside in ten minutes" both nodded to his request.

"Chris both you and Rei stay here" coaches face turned even more grim "I will be contacting Sawamura's parents when I return to school" that call was going to be hard for the coach to make it wasn't like with Tanba but it was still the second call he would have to make to a parent about their child being injured.

"Rei I want you to talk to them when they arrive, you've met them before so the will probably respond better to you" coach turned back to look at Haruichi and Kuramochi "remember 10 minutes" they nodded and coach walked out of the room.

Miyuki was sitting on the steps leading up to the hospitals entrance. Thinking about what happened a week before the game. He and Eijun were have extra practice after normal practice to work on Eijun's control some more, Eijun was standing the sweat dripping down his face but he never lost the giant smile he always wore while pitching. And Miyuki remembers thinking that he looked so natural standing there like he was meant to be standing on the mound. It was then that Miyuki decided that after the game he would tell Eijun how he felt. That he was proud of him for working so hard and how much he loved his smile and as sappy as it was he wanted to see Eijun's smile now more than ever because that smile never failed to make everyone feel better.

Miyuki was startled from his thoughts by someone placing their hand on his shoulder. Miyuki looked up and was met with coach's eyes looking down at him, the shades he normally wears absent from his face. There was a look of understanding in his eyes like he knew exactly what was running through Miyuki's mind.

"It's not your fault" he says to Miyuki no longer looking at him but at the setting sun.

"Don't let this affect you, because Sawamura will need you at the top of your game when he wakes up" Miyuki could feel his eyes widen. Nothing was said after that the two just watched the sun set.

Haruichi and Kuramochi arrive outside a few minutes later to see Miyuki and coach waiting for them with a taxi. The journey back to school is silent, nobody dared say anything because they knew as soon as they got to school they would be bombarded with questions. And true to their thoughts as soon as they reached the dorms people flocked around them. People were shouting from all directions the loudest being Jun-Senpai.

"What the fucks going on? Is he alright? Where's Chris?" Jun always the outspoken one as his voice rose above everyone else's. "Hey Miyuki where the hell are you going?" Miyuki was already walking back to his room ignoring everyone around him, he didn't want to hear what happened to Eijun again.

"Let him go" everyone quietened down and prepared themselves for what coach was going to say.

"Sawamura received no permanent damage from the injury but the hit to the head has rendered Sawamura unconscious" everyone remained silent. They were all trying to imagine it, to picture the Sawamura Eijun they all know laying in a hospital bed unmoving.

Ryo-san made his way out of the crowd towards his brother and when he got to him he wordlessly pulled Haruichi into a hug. His brother needed him in this moment and he knew it. This broke everyone out if the silent stupor and people began to react to the news in different ways. Furuya though is face lacked emotion his eyes burned with emotion it sort of seemed as if he didn't know whether to be sad about Eijun current state or angry at Inashiro for putting him there. You couldn't get near Tetsu-san due to the aura he was releasing while Jun screamed angrily at the sky. Masuko-sans stomach was rumbling loudly while Tanba and Nori look concerned.

"Starting tomorrow you'll take shifts to go see him in the hospital, until then I suggest you go get some rest" coach's voice rang out over the area once again. He then turned away preparing himself to make a call.


	3. Chapter 3

Day 3

The coach didn't think he had ever had a phone convocation as draining as the one he had just made to sawamura's home. When he had called sawamura's mother had answered the phone and after explaining what had happened to her son he had spent an hour trying to calm the woman down, since she was the only one home since her father in law and husband had come down to see the game. After she had calmed down and was thinking clearly she had informed him that she would be making the trip down so she could see her son, coach had offered her one of the free room in the dorm so that her and her family would not have to look for a place to stay.

After calling rei and informing her what was going on and being told that both Eijun's father and grandfather were at the hospital, coach could hear the voice of what he assumed to be Sawamura's grandfather it the background demanding that his grandson stop ignoring him and wake up. Chris will also be returning to the school soon, he should be back just in time for practice. Thinking of practice coach decided to get some sleep because he knew that getting to boys motivated for practice tomorrow will a struggle.

In the dorms all the regulars were gathered in Miyuki's room, but it was too silent even though it was the middle of the night and they all should be in their own rooms but they didn't feel like it especially Kuramochi and Masuko they felt strange being in there room knowing that Sawamura is laying in a hospital bed.

Ryo-san decided to break the silence "I think we should all go to our rooms" everyone looked towards him "Some of us are going to see Sawamura tomorrow and the others are going to have practice so we need rest" as much as they didn't want to they could see the logic in his statement and they all got up slowly and headed to their rooms.

Upon arriving at their room Kuramochi and Masuko took a minute to stare at the bottom bunk where Sawamura should be sleeping. Kuramochi started to imagine the scene he had seen in the hospital and Sawamura's pale face, he hoped that he would wake up soon.

The next morning the whole team was gathered in the canteen but the depressing mood from yesterday still hung over everyone. When Chris and the coach entered the canteen they could physically see the depressing aura hanging over the room. Chris had returned that morning after spending the night at the hospital, meeting Sawamura's family had been interesting, let's just say that he now know where Eijun gets his personality from.

The coach cleared his throat and all the boys turned towards him "ok I told you that you'll take shifts to go see Sawamura the first group will be Furuya, Tanba, Masuko and Kawakami" all of them nodded at the coach "I will be going with you to the hospital so that I can pick up Sawamura's relatives who will be staying with us for a couple weeks" the team looked shocked they were going to meet Sawamura's family.

Ignoring everyone's shock the coach continued to talk "Since I won't be at practice this morning Chris I want you and Yuki to make sure everyone is doing what there suppose to" both of them nodded.

"Furuya, Tanba, Masuko and Kawakami I want you to meet me outside in 20 minutes take this time to get changed" the boys nodded and left right away to get prepared.

Tetsu stood up and addressed the team "Ok I want everyone done and on the field in half an hour" before he as well left the canteen.

Miyuki couldn't believe what he just heard, Sawamura's parents were coming to the school as if he didn't feel guilt enough just seeing Sawamura yesterday now he was going to see his possible crying parents. Maybe batting practice today would help since he had no pitchers to work with today. When Miyuki looked up he saw Kuramochi looking a bit twitchy as well, a glance around the canteen shows him that the news that they were going to meet Sawamura's family was making everyone a bit twitchy. Weather it was because of what happened or because they were meeting the people who had created someone like Sawamura.

Practice started with the mandatory 20 laps of the field, Tetsu was now going to let them slack off just because coach wasn't or because of what happened yesterday, because he knew they need to keep their minds off of what happened and this was the best way to do it.

It would have to be batting and fielding practice for everyone today since there starting pitchers where not here, and it would help some of them work off their frustration if they participated in some batting practice. As Tetsu was helping one of the second string work on their form he noticed that some people where entering the field, the next thing the captain heard was Jun's voice ringing out across the field.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" everyone turned to look at the people who had just entered the field. It was Inashiro's pitcher Narumiya Mei and there catcher Harada Masatoshi and let's just say no one was happy to see them.

"I'm here to see if that first year is ok?" Mei's voice was a bit happier then any of them thought he should be allowed to be.

Everyone could see that Jun was about to blow his lid, so Tetsu went over and wrapped his arm around Jun's shoulder. He didn't need a fight to happen while the coach was away and he was in charge. Luck for Tetsu Chris had come over to deal with the situation, but one look at Chris you could tell he was mad to but Tetsu could trust Chris not to do anything stupid.

"He's not here maybe you should go see him" Chris told Mei. Mei's face looked confused as he turned to Chris.

"Ok where is he?" Mei asked smile still on his face like he could feel the tension in the air.

"He's in the hospital" Miyuki's cold voice cut through the silence that had descended Upon them, and everyone watched as Mei's smiling face morphed into one of shock.


End file.
